“Being ready – like Blessed Mary, the Mother of Sorrows – to give a bold and convincing answer to the Lord: ‘Lord, you are truly the Messiah of God; You truly are my Saviour and Lord!’”

(Based on Is 50:5-9a, Jas 2:14-18 and Mk 8:27-35 – 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B)

“Do you want to find favour with God?”

This was the question asked by a priest, in a motivational session, to a group of youngsters, who had a deep desire to love the Lord and His Church.

The question immediately prompted all the participants to raise their hands!

The priest asked again, “Do you really want to find favour in the eyes of God?”

The number of hands remained the same!

Obviously!

Everyone surely wanted to “find favour” with God!
There was no doubt about that!

The priest continued – this time holding up a portrait – “Then… then this is what you need to be ready for!”

The potrait held up was that of the Pietà – the famous marble sculpture of Michelangelo (now located in St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City) – that depicts Mary, the Mother of Sorrows holding Her Dead Beloved Child, on Her laps!

And the priest continued, as the young enthusiasts now began to realise the meaning and depth of his question: “Yes, to find favour with God is surely that, for which we all must aspire!

But never forget, that ‘this choice to find favour with God, is also a choice for the Cross!’
That’s what Mother Mary experienced – when the Angel Gabriel told her, at the Annunciation, ‘You have found favour with God!’
And that’s why, we can proudly celebrate Mary as the Mother of Sorrows!”

How about us?
Do we also want to find favour with God?

Then are we ready to “make a choice for the Cross?”

The Gospel of the Day demands a total commitment in the following of Christ, by making an uncompromising choice: “If anyone would follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me” (Mk 8: 34)

Today’s Gospel is the familiar passage of Jesus enquiring His disciples with the dual-query, “Who do people say that I am?” and “Who do you say that I am?” (Mk 7: 27b, 29)

The world may have innumerable answers when the question “Who do people say that I am?” is posed.

Many saw Jesus preaching zealously on repentance…
… and considered Him as John the Baptist
Many saw Jesus being mighty in deeds and wondrous acts…
… and considered Him as Elijah
Many saw Jesus powerfully authoritative in his words…
… and considered Him a Prophet

But most of them failed to see Jesus truly as the One He really was!

The SON OF GOD!

This can easily happen to any one of us too.

We may find Jesus as a source of many powers and many blessings and with many qualities.
… and we may tap this source for our various needs and wants.

We may be deeply impressed with Jesus and His huge treasury of teachings
… and we may admire and appreciate Him as a Great Moral Teacher

We may look at Jesus as being a wonderful person, like many other great people in the world
… and we may engage ourselves in studying about Him, collecting quotes on Him and reading various books on Him

But with all these “varied” qualities and dimensions, sometimes, we tend to forget the fact that our Blessed Lord…
… came not merely to be a storehouse of blessings and favours to be delivered
… came not simply to give some teachings and bring some societal transforms with some philosophies
… came not simply to be called as a “great man” and become a subject of many books, articles, talks etc

He primarily came to be Our Saviour!

He came to save us from our sins
He came to win us back to God
He came to help us gain eternal life

But sometimes, we adopt a “cafeteria spirituality” in our understanding and following of the Lord.

Most of us have been to hotels or cafeteria, which provide a menu card that allows customers to choose their choice of food or drink.

The choice of food varies based on several changing factors!
The availability of food
… the company of friends we have
… the mood and feelings of our mind
… the time and occasion of the meal etc
This cafeteria mentality works out very well for our food taste and our appetite.

But sometimes, we adopt a similar attitude, even in our Christian Lives!

We like to pick and choose aspects and portions of Christ and Christianity to fit into our choice…
We like to prefer and select parts and segments of Christ and Christianity which are more comfortable…
We tend to follow a “cafeteria spirituality” in Christianity!

The cafeteria spirituality in our life may cater many of our wants.

But it might be found short of answering our basic need of redemption and salvation!

Jesus is primarily our Messiah…
… the Anointed one
… the Saviour of the World!

This is what Peter boldly expressed, “You are the Messiah of God!” (Mk 8:29b)

Prophet Isaiah invites us to have the attitude of Jesus, the Suffering Servant:
“The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame!” (Is 50:7)

This understanding of the Real Jesus can be experienced only through our complete commitment to the cause of Christ and a faithful following by taking up our crosses.

The Lord encounters each one of us today personally and puts forward the same question,

Who do YOU say that I am?

Am I going to adopt the “cafeteria Spirituality” and answer vaguely, imprecisely and abstractedly – depending on my moods and likings and situations…?
… Or I am ready to give a bold and convinced answer to the Lord – from the depth of our hearts: “Lord, you are truly the Messiah of God…
… You truly are my Saviour and Lord!”

Today – September 15 – we specially honour Mary, the Mother of Sorrows and the Mother of Compassion.

Mamma Mary teaches us the great lesson that “to find favour with God, is making a choice for the Cross!’
“Holding her dead Beloved Child on her laps, the Mother of Sorrows, would still have her commitment resounding in the painful castles of her heart: ”FIAT…
… behold, I am the Handmaid of the Lord.
… let it be done to me, according to Your Will!”

Do we also not want to find favour with God?

Then, let us, holding the hands of our Blessed Mother – the Mother of Sorrows – be ready to “make a choice for the Cross”…
… and thus “walk before the Lord, in the land of the living!” (Cf. Ps 116:9)

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – MORAL LIFE AND THE MAGISTERIUM OF THE CHURCH

Ministries should be exercised in a spirit of fraternal service and dedication to the Church, in the name of the Lord.

The conscience of each person should avoid confining itself to individualistic considerations in its moral judgments of the person’s own acts. (CCC # 2039)